This weekend is the London International Dive Show at the Excel Centre in the Docklands area of London, UK. And there is much of interest for underwater photographers.

As in previous shows I am hosting the Digital Photo Clinic with Wetpixel member and Photoshop guru Saeed Rashid and Paul "Duxy" Duxfield from Cameras Underwater. We are well aware that many of you attend this each year and we have a number of new ideas and features to show you, in this predominantly question and answer session.

Other speakers include regular Wetpixel contributer and DIVER Magazine's Technical Editor John Bantin will be talking about his career testing kit and writing features for the magazine, which I am sure will be full of funny anecdotes and also valuable advice for those interested in publishing their work. Other talks I will be hoping to catch include those by Monty Halls and Captain Paul Watson. Full listing here.

John and I are also presenting in the Red Sea Zone. I am talking on the Photographic Opportunities in the Red Sea, describing what you can plan to shoot and giving some tips on how best to capture typical Red Sea subjects. John will talk about a recent epic and unique expedition from Taba in the north to Zabargad in the south or Egypt. There are also interesting talks by Ned Middleton and John Kean on wrecks, that are bound to be popular.

Also of particular interest to underwater photographers is the display of the best 80 prints from the BSoUP/DIVER Print Competition, you can vote for your favourite, although for those planning to vote for your own picture, note that an independant panel of judges (led by Peter Scoones, Nigel Eaton and Brian Pitkin) will select the grand prize winner of a week's holiday in the Red Sea, courtesy of Oonasdivers! So you know who to buy drinks for.

I don't suppose you are intending on taking you ring diffuser to show off at the talk or BSoUP stand? I would love to see it.Daniel

Hi Daniel,

I have already spoken about this with the guys and have prepared a few images in a talk to demonstrate this and three other DIY camera mods - entitled "Underwater photography for the credit crunch". But it is something we will hold in reserve - if we get a question about it and if there are sufficient DSLR/external strobe users in the audience. That is why we always do the show of hands thing at the beginning to determine the balance of the audience.

In 1992 I was a dive guide on a liveaboard and we went from the Sinai all the way to Djibouti via dive sites in the Sudan, Eritrea and the Yemen.

Since then I have visited the Red Sea about four times each year.

My talk is entitled Taba to Zabargad but I have NOT recently returned from one trip that encompassed the whole of Egypt's Red Sea Coast. It took a lot longer!

Come anyway. It might be interesting but not as interesting as my main talk in North Gallery 12/13 presentation theatre at 11.15 each day! I'm talking about my favourite subject - Me!

I buy my own photographic kit. Diving equipment manufacturers and diving services suppliers get even-handed treatment from me whether they choose to advertise in the publications I write for or not. All the equipment I get on loan is returned as soon as it is finished with.Did you know you can now get Diver Mag as an iPad/Android app?

I'll be hovering around the Elasmo Films/Shark Conservation Society stand which from memory is number 437 (opposite the Shark Trust stand). Come by and say hello and put a face to a name

Cheers, Simon

I would have loved to come down to the smoke but im a wee bit busy this weekend...

Simon who was the photographer who took your picture on the Elasmo website... You in the commercial dive gear... Its a lovely black and white picture and i can really see why you chose it... But who was the shooter it doesn't actually say ???

Simon who was the photographer who took your picture on the Elasmo website... You in the commercial dive gear... Its a lovely black and white picture and i can really see why you chose it... But who was the shooter it doesn't actually say ???

Dive safe

DeanB

LOL sorry mate, I'll put a credit up on it just in case anyone wants to steal that beautiful professionally shot black and white photo!